Collapsible cup



Dec. 25, 1923.

.1. REIFSNYDER QOLLAPSIBLE CUR Filed July 14, 1921 i 4 formed;

Patented Dec. 25, 1923.

UNITED STATES 1,478,838 PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES J). nnrrsmrnnn, or WEEHAWKEN, NEW JERSEY, .assrenon, BY mnsnu AS-I sremmn'rs, '10 PAPER n'rrm rrns co, me; OF-NEW Yoax, n. Y., A.conroa'urlon OF NEW YORK.

Application filed July 14,

To all whom it may cmw'em:

- Be it known that 1, JAMES D. REIFSNYDER, 4 a citizen of the UnitedStates,and a resident of Weehawken, in the county of Hudson and State ofNew Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCollapsible Cups, of which the following is a specification. 1 I

The invention relates to colla sible drinking cups which may each beormed of a paper blank, suitably creased or scored and secured togetherto form a cup; the cup being characterized by its ability to stand onits own bottom when extended to be collapsed 16 into fiat form with oneof its side portions :gened by 1nlyin on the other, and to be warpressure on the opposite ges thereof. The chief object of-the inventionis to provide an effective device of the character referred to which maybe manufactured in a simple and inexpensive .manner, and which shall bewater-tight. Other objects of the invention consist in the improvedconstruction of elements and combinations of parts, all

.I as will be more fully set forth in the following specification andparticularly pointed out in the-appended claims.

A particular feature of the invention is theprovision of a gumming orsecuringfiap or flange so arranged as to prevent leakage of the cup whenthe blank therefor is'somewhat inaccurately stamped.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood attention isdirected to the accompanying drawings forming "part of this applicationand illustrating one em bodiment of the invention. In the drawings,

Fig. 1 represents a blank from which a cup embodying the invention maybe Fig. 2 is aperspective view of one (5f the com etedcups in extendedposition;

- Figs. 3 and 4 are partial views, of the blank illustrating certainsteps in the foldin of the same to form a cup; V

p i 5 is a partial perspective view of a cup 1n partly collapsedcondition, partly broken away; r Fig. 6 is a top view ofthe cup in.partly W collapsed condition, one pf the gumming flan es beingshownextended; and

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of the cup in extended position. IReferring to the drawings, the cup may COLLAPSIBLE our.

1921. Serial No. 484,607.

be formed of a blank of paper or other suitable material. This'blank isadapted to be creased along transverse lines 1' and 2, 2, these l1nespreferably being slightly scored. Lon itudi'nal lines 3, 3, are alsoprovided, para lel, generally speaking, to the side edges 4, 4, and 7,7. The line 1 is'parallel to and intermediate the end edges 5, 5, of

the blank.

The blank is provided with extensions 6, 6, at each side thereof, theseportions preferably extending from one end to a point a short distancebeyond the, more distant of the two scored lines 2. Each side extension6 is bounded by a side edge 7, which extends from the top edge 5 to themore distent of the two scored lin'es2, beyond which point an endportion 6 of each extension 6 is formed, this portion 6 having anoutside edge 8 which may, as shown, extend inwardly and downwardly at aninclination from the junction of the edge 7 with the hue 2, to a pointon the outside edge 4 a short distance below the line 2.

Each side'extension 6 has an inner edge formed by a scored line 9 whichextends from the top edge 5, parallel to the outside edge 7 until thenearer of the two lines 2 is reached. From this point the scored line 9continues across the blank, preferably at a somewhat differentinclination, as is indicated at 9 ,'until the opposite line 2 isreached, and from this intersection the scored line continues, as isindicated at 4 to the intersection of edges 4 and 8, the portion 4 of.the scored line forming "a continuation of the ed e 4. It will beunderstood that a tapere cup is indicated in the drawings andaccordingly the side edges 4 taper downwardly and outwardly and the sideedges 7 and crease lines 9 taper outwardly and upwardlyin a symmetricalmanner, the upper portion of the blank being wider" than the lower bythe width of the two gummingflaps 6.

The longitudinal crease lines 3 are parallel to crease lines 9 andoutside edges 7 at the upper part of the blank and are paralreferablyformed vertically on the b1ank;. -;j

hen the latter is bent along the varioustions 11, 11, which are boundedat the sides by the lines 3 and 9, and lines 3 and edges 4', the sideextensions 6 constituting gunmiing U flanges, or flaps, which are bentabout lines 9 and secured to the edge portions of the lower end of theblank, adjacent the edges 4Q thereof.

Crease lines 12, 12, are also provided on the blank extending from theintersections of each crease line 9 with line 1 to each of theintersections of lines 2 and 3. Accordingly there will be provided ateach side of the blank a pair of triangular spaces .13, each of which isbounded by crease lines 12, l, and 3 with a pair of triangular spaces14, each of which is bounded, the upper one by the lines 9 12, and theupper line 2, and the lower one by the line 9 the lower line 12 and thelower line 2.

With a blank scored, or otherwise marked, in the manner indicated, a cupis formed in the following manner. The blank is first folded along line1 so that the opposite end,

portions 3 thereof will extend downwardly therefrom; The portions of theblank which are adapted to form the sides and ends of the cups, that is,the portions between the end edges 5 and the adjacent lines 2, are thenbent upwardly about lines 2, so that the portion of the blank bounded bythe two lines 2 will extend upwardly in inverted V formation between thesides, as is indicated in Fig. 5, to form a bellows fold.

0 The blank is then folded flat in the manner lndicated in Fig. 3 withthe portion bounded by lines 2, 2, pressed down between the upper andlower side portions. The portion of flange or flap 6 which extends fromthe upper edge 5 to the upper line 2, referring to Fig. 1, will extendalong an edge of the under portion of the blank so folded. When theblankis folded along lines 1 and 2, 2,

asdescribed, the flange 6 will, of course, be

folded along the same lines and accordingly there will be severalportions of this flange superposed one on the other. Referring to theportion of flange 6 which extends from upper line 2 to line 1, as 6*,and the portion of the flange which extendsfrom line 1 to the lower line2, as 6", it will be evident that there will be four, thicknesses ofthematerlal comprised in this flange adjacent to line 2, as shown inFig. 3. These are the triangular flap 6 uppermost, portions 6" below thesame extending to the left from line 2, referring to Fig. 3, thenportions 6 below that extending to the right from line 1 and the mainportion of the flange 6 below flange 6, extending to the left from itsline 2.

To complete the cup it is only necessary to fold the flange 6 at eachside of the construction about the adjacent edge t, down on the adjacentportion 11 of the structure and secure the same' in position by adhesivematerial. This operation is indicated in Fig. 4:. In the usual manner ofpreparing the cup, adhesive is applied to the gumming flanges or flapsbefore the blank is bent along the crease lines, the surfaces to becovered. by adhesive material being indicated in the drawings bystippling- The cup so formed will lie in a flat form until opened foruse. This may be easily accomplished by pressing the opposite edges 9, 9between the thumb and forefinger, whereupon the cup will immediatelyopen up into the position indicated in Fig. 2, in which the cup ma standupon the rectangular bottomboun ed by lines 2, 2 and 3', 3'. When thecup is being opened up there will be a bending along lines 12, 12 and 3'and 1, the triangular portions 14. and 13 being opposite to each otherduring the openlng movement, leverage being exercised by the pressurethrough the triangular portions 14, 13.

It will be noted that in the construction side of the cup are foldedbetween'the adjacent portions 11 and 6", the portions 6 and 6 also beingfolded betweeh portion 11 and the main portion 6 of the gumming flange.This arrangement insures against leakage, which might otherwise-occur atthe bottom of" the cup in case the blank were stamped out somewhatinaccurately at this portion. F or example, if the gummed flange wasintended to terminate at lower line 2, and in stamping out the blankflange 6 was cut the slightest bit short or rough at this.

end, or if out exactly right, it did not adhere tightly to the side 11right at the very bot-' tom, or if the adhesive for any reason were todevelop a defect at the extreme inner point. of the bottom of flap 6,then in one of such events the cup would leak at this point because itwould not be properly closed; but these contingencies are avoide bycarrying flap 6 some distance below the lower line 2, as is indicated at6 The portions 6 of the gumming flange which are shown in Figs. 3 and 5ordinarily are not gummed, since these surfaces are portions of the sideopposite to the gummed surfaceshown in Fig. 1, and portions 6 are heldin place without gumming by the superposed portions 6. Portions 6} may,of course, e gummed by a special operation, if desired.

rnvaeee those skilled in the art, -after understanding my invention,that changes andmodifications may be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention and l donot want to be understood aslimiting myself other than as indicated in the ap pended claims.

What I claim is l. A collapsible cup having side and end walls and abottom on which it is adapted to stand when extended, the bottom havinga bellows fold and the end walls, when the cup is collapsed in flatrorm, folding along vertical lines intermediate the side edges thereof,each end wall being formed of two vertically extending portions, onehaving a.

side flap lapped over and secured to the other, said other portionhaving a side flap extension adjacent the bottom thereof, bent over andsecured between the lower outer part thereof and said first named flap'2. A collapsible cup having side and end walls and a bottom, formed ofa blank having one endportion wider than the other, the blank having atransverse crease line intermediate its ends, and transverse creaselines above and below the same for the side edges of the bottom,longitudinal crease lines for the intersections between the side and endwalls and longitudinal crease lines adjacent the sides of the firstnamed end 1 portion extending from the outer end thereof across saidtransverse lines as continuaa, tions of the outside edges of the otherend sides of said last named longitudinal crease portion, and gummingflaps at the outer lines extending acros said transverse lines and for ashort distance beyond the last one of said lines. r

3. A collapsible cup having side and end walls and a rectangular bottomon which it is adapted to stand when extended, the bottom having anupwardly extending bellows.

fold, and the end walls, when the cup is collapsed in fiat form, foldingalong vertical lines intermediate the ide edges thereof, the bottomhaving extensions at the ends thereof divided by diagonal crease'linesinto inmi and outer triangular spaces, adapted to fold upwardly with thebottom when the cup is collapsed and to fold vertically inside the endswhen the cup is open, with the,

gaging each other, said inner and outer triangular spaces'constitutingcontinuations of the end walls and acting jointly, when the cup isopened, to transmit pressure to the bottom to open he bellows fold ofthe same, each end wall being formed of two vertically extendingportions, one having a side flap lapped over and secured to the other.

4, A blank from which a paper cup is to said inner and outer.triangularspaces en" be formed, said blank comprising portions" forforming the side walls of the cup, portionsfor forming theend walls ofthe cup each of which end walls will have two upright portions normallyfolded one upon the other, portions for forming a bellows-like bottomfor the cup, which portions are marked by lines along which therespective portions of the blank are to be folded, and sealing flaps atthe sides of the blank for sealing up be extended into a flat bottom forsupport ing the cup, end walls each comprising two upright portionsrespectively contiguous with the side wall portions and adapted to bebent outwardly therefrom along their respective llnes of d vlslon withsaid side walls, one end wall portion toward the'other to form an angletherebetween, at each end of the-bottom of the cup a portion forniin acontinuation of the upright-end walls an of the bottom of the cup, saidportion being marked out into triangles substantially'as shown in thedrawings to permit the flattening of the bottom and side walls of thecup in opening up same, and a closure flap for each end of the cupadapted to seal the ends and having a portion extending across the endsof the bottom of the cup and upwardly beyond each side of the bottom.

' an testimony whereof, I, have signed my name to this specification.

JAMES D. REIFSNYDER.

